New Pointe Shoes!

Oh how pretty! Now that summer is in full effect her in Los Angeles I had to bite the bullet and by new pointe shoes. I started wearing the wonderful Bloch European Balance Shoes about 4 months ago and I like them very much. I started back on pointe about one year ago after several years of break time. I figured I should try it now before I got to old and busy to really give it my full attention. These shoes help my feet stretch in a way I have trouble achieving on my own. I always liked Bloch shoes and I'm in love with the way it feels dancing on pointe again!

Poor Dottie!

Poor Dottie! She go so sick last week!

Her first day of puppy day care she was so good. She left no messes in the kitchen before her pet sitter could collect her. Then the second day, disaster!

Little Dottie ate turkey jerky (the kind designed for dogs). She ate a lot of it. Like 3 breasts worth in a 24 hour period of time. Then her body rejected it at 2am. Oh it was gross and Dottie got rushed to the emergency pet doctor and rang up an unbelievable bill in 4 hours.

Then we took her to her regular vet for follow up where they were sweet as can be. Continued treating Dottie for the next 2 days and now she's back to her normal self.

The above picture is Dottie when I brought her home finally. She ran around the house like a crazed dog jumping on and off all the furniture before relaxing by my feet in the kitchen. I think she missed us, and we missed her too!

The importance of Parasols

Because it's over 100 degrees outside today I'd like to take a moment to thank the person who created the first parasol. I don't know who you are, but I love you. It's my summer time saver of my skin. Someday I hope to receive one with that cool UV fabric so I'll be extra protected. Hint, hint.

Kale, how I love thee!

6 months ago I'd never heard of Kale. If I had heard it I blocked it from my thoughts as one of those weird foods hippies eat. Not for me, nope no way. 

I was so very wrong.

I've now eaten kale three days in a row. Let me introduce you to the recipe that is rocking my world. 

Have I mentioned how much I love this book? Seriously like the best cookbook I've ever purchased because the recipes are quick and delicious, plus many are very adaptable and only use a few ingredients. Hooray!

This is not exactly the recipe, but has been adapted from Real Simple Best Recipes: Easy, Delicious Meals

Bean and Chicken Sausage Stew

3/4 lb. chicken sausage

2 cloves garlic (sliced)

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

1 can diced tomotoes

1 can low sodium chicken broth

1 bunch kale (torn into 2 inch pieces)

salt and pepper to taste

Cook or reheat the sausage in a bit of oil in a dutch oven. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add beans tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Add kale and cook until wilted. Season to taste. 

Seriously this took about 15 minutes to make. It was so fast I wasn't prepared to add the kale. My husband took Dottie for her walk and didn't come back for about 30 minutes. So I just let the soup simmer sans kale until he got home. Worked just fine and just made the flavor better. 

I could see so many good ways to change this up. Add different beans, more veggies and this would be an even bigger meal. We had some left over homemade bread from the previous week and I used it to sop up the liquid. Delicious!

As for the sausage, I really think you could use any kind. The soup basically takes on the taste of the sausage itself. We used Basil chicken we picked up at Henry's. Turkey, pork or another chicken sausage would be good too.

The kale, well that was awesome! Adds a great texture. Really add a whole bunch because it cooks down to practically nothing. I could have added more because it was that good. 

The book also listed nutrition at around 300 calories per serving, but I'd imagine that depends on how much you eat and what type of sausage you add.

Freezable, adapable, and awesome. What more can someone ask for? 

It was so good we ate all of it before I could take a picture :)

Dottie's First Day of Puppy Care

Well, it's not her first day at puppy day care, but it is a big day nonetheless. Today marks the first day both me and my husband are working all day. My husband left at 7am and I at 8:15. This is what Dottie looked like when I left..

"Why are you leaving me?"

Sorry Dottie! I have to go to work. I know it sucks. I'd rather play with you all day, but that dog food you eat... it doesn't grow on trees.

So in honor of this day let me thoroughly introduce you to Dottie Josephine Prickle Fur Wrinkle Head Flap Jowls Floopy Ears commonly known as Dottie Jo.

Is all started more than a month ago. On July 2nd I got off work early. After weeks of looking for just the right dog and waiting for rescue agencies to return my calls (none of them did, bastards) I was desperate to find the perfect mutt. So I convinced my husband to make yet another trip to the local pound.

I'd seen this image on the website, but she was labeled as a lab. I thought...6month old lab...no way. We live in a duplex and our landlord admitted she was scared of dogs after we moved in. There was no way we could get a giant lab puppy. Plus, doesn't she look scared? Poor thing. 

As we wandered the aisles I instantly latched onto this little pup not even realizing they were one in the same. She was so tiny and cute. Even in the mass chaos of dogs barking and people she was quiet and curious. Love, instant love. But could she be ours? Would John agree?

We had to go back to the desk and meet with a counselor first. Then we had to see if there was already a waiting list for the puppy. Thankfully the counselor was very nice and recognized we are good people looking to give a dog a loving home. As long as out landlord agreed we could have any dog we wanted. (Our landlord agreed, yay!)

Next up the waiting list. By some miracle we were fist on the waiting list. I think it was fate because most lab puppies have huge waiting lists in hours. How we were first I will never know, but I later found out her list did indeed fill quickly. 

Step 3, wait until she became available for adoption to finally meet her face to face. On Wednesday July 7th she became available and John and I went to the Pasadena Humane Society at 9am sharp. If we weren't there by 9:30am we lost our chance. Dottie was a little nervous, but eventually started to interact with us. We agreed she was the dog for us. 

Step 4, wait while she was spade. This was the hardest waiting of all! She was ours, but when? Like expectant parents we had to ready our house the the new arrival. Plus the cranky ginger woman at the front desk was giving up zero information on her. Drats!

Finally on July 9th Dottie came home with us. She was good, curious, and fun. We love her very much and are so happy she is our puppy. In her honor here are two videos showing Dottie's first experience with a raw hide bone. Enjoy!

Dottie vs. the bone
Dottie vs. the bone II


Hope you make it to 2:30 Dottie! Then you get to play with King!